1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to vertically-mounted planters. More particularly, this invention relates to planters in which living plants are grown from a vertical surface of the planter.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wall-mounted planters are in common usage, reflecting a widespread interest in growing plants in greater abundance and in novel locations. Less common, but reflecting the same interest, are wall-mounted planters in which plants are grown from the vertical surfaces of the planter. The prior art record also contains numerous examples of planters providing a vertical planting arrangement, which are not wall-mounted.
The use of wall-mounted planters allows the plant hobbyist to grow plants in more locations, both within the home and on walls and fences in the garden. The use of wall-mounted planters is also advantageous in that they are less likely to be disturbed or upset by pets and small children. Growing plants in a vertical arrangement offers further advantages in that foliage and flowers may be more easily viewed and appreciated.
Growing in a vertical arrangement is of particular advantage with certain orchid species which are less susceptible to crown rot when they are grown from a vertical surface, as a result of the decreased likelihood that water will collect in the crown.
There are several key areas in which improvements are needed in advancing the art of wall-mounted and vertical planters. Among these are:                assuring appropriate provision of moisture to, and drainage from, the root zone;        maintaining the porosity of the growing media; and        preventing spillage of growing media, especially at the aperture from which the plant grows.        
Advances in wall-mounted and vertical planters are also sought to increase the decorative quality of planters.
Provision of moisture is a critical requirement for any planter that is to be used to maintain living plants. A vertically-oriented planter presents additional challenges related to providing adequate, and relatively uniform, distribution of moisture within the root zone of the planter.
A variety of mechanisms have been developed by inventors for providing moisture in vertical planters. Commonly used are reservoirs that release water into the root zone of the planter by gravity, or through the use of wicks, tubing, pipes or some combination of these. Such designs will also typically provide for an overflow trough to catch water as it drains from the root zone. Some planters provide recirculating watering systems in which a pump is used to move water from the overflow trough back into a reservoir or water distribution system.
Several problems arise in using planters incorporating these features. Water distribution systems, such as wicks and tubing, tend to distribute water unevenly, often resulting in some areas of the root zone being over-saturated, while other areas receive inadequate moisture. To compensate for this uneven distribution, planters have been developed which continuously saturate the entire root zone, essentially overwhelming any tendency to uneven distribution. This may be acceptable for certain types of plants, but will damage plants that require some drying between waterings. Planters with reservoirs and overflow troughs are likely to spill water, and possibly suffer breakage, if the planter is upset. The overflow trough may itself overflow if too much water is introduced, resulting in wetting and potential damage to nearby furnishings. Planters incorporating tubing and pumps involve added complexity and the potential of mechanical failure, as well as increasing the cost of manufacture.
A different approach to providing moisture in a decorative planter is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,546 to Baranova (2000) which describes a planter in which moisture is retained and distributed using a water-absorbing gel. Baranova describes a pouch that is filled with water-absorbing gel, making up the entirety of the planter root zone. Baronova's planter is not suited to plants that resent a continuously saturated root zone or require some amount of drying between waterings. The planter disclosed by Baranova is not, however, suited to growing plants on a vertical surface, because the mouth of the planter must be maintained in an upright orientation. In addition, Baranova's planter is not able to accept larger plants or those that have significant root systems at the time they are planted.
A common concern in developing a new planter is the tendency of soil or planting media to settle, resulting in a compacted condition in the root zone, characterized by loss of porosity and diminished capacity for free drainage of water, possibly leading to anoxic conditions detrimental to the health of the plant. The problem of settling may be especially compounded in a vertically configured planter due to the increased relative height of the column of growing media compared to its breadth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,994 to Urai (1981) presents one approach to the problems of settling and media compaction in a wall mounted vertical planter. In Urai's planter, planting media is interspersed with filler material in an attempt to maintain the shape of the cultivation body and prevent settling of media.
In practice, the layering of materials described by Urai is not sufficient to prevent settling of growing media without the application of adhesive compounds to consolidate all elements of the cultivation body. This is suggested by the use of adhesives described in a dependent claim of Urai's invention. Urai's planter uses a water reservoir, overflow collection trough and moisture distribution based on wicks, pipes and pumps which present the problems attendant to these features outlined above. In addition, Urai's planter cannot accommodate introduction of larger plants or those with developed root systems at the time of planting. Urai's planter is instead intended for planting seeds, seedlings or cuttings.
A different approach to the problem of media settling in vertical planters is taken by Patrick Blanc of France whose methods are partially described in a variety of publications. Blanc substantially eliminates the use of loose growing media in his planting system. Blanc instead plants directly into a synthetic felt material that is affixed to a water-impervious vertical surface. In Blanc's method, water and nutrients are supplied to the plants through a recirculating drip irrigation system. While Blanc's method is well adapted to permanent installations covering large vertical surfaces, it is not suited to smaller movable planters. Blanc's system offers minimal reserves of moisture within the root zone, leaving plants vulnerable to desiccation if the drip irrigation system fails to operate.
Another focus of concern in the advancement of vertically-oriented planters is to prevent spillage of growing media from the planter, especially at the aperture where the foliage of the plant emerges from the planter.
Some vertically-oriented planters provide restricted planting spaces where a portion of the growing media is presented with a small horizontal surface where the plant is grown. Exemplary of this form is French patent FR2680626 to Lassale (1993) in which small flexible pockets are affixed in a vertical array, with each pocket holding a small amount of growing media. A similar approach is taken in U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,843 to Johnson, Sr. (1983) in which multiple small horizontal planting areas are arranged to provide an overall vertical array. A somewhat different approach is taken in U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,676 to Lund (1996) in which ports are arrayed in a vertical planter which afford a small horizontal surface of growing media within an aperture on the vertical wall of the planter. All of these ways of containing growing media at the plant aperture depend on gravity to hold growing media in place. If the planter were tipped or overturned, planting media, and possibly plants, would spill out.
In some planters a vertical wall of the planter is a fabric material having holes or slits cut in its surface. A method of this kind is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,284 to Williams (1990). This simple method may be effective in preventing spillage of growing media, but does not offer a way to insert larger plant material or plants which have significant root systems at the time of planting. A variation on this approach is described in U.S. patent application 20070227066 from Crawford (2007). Crawford provides pre-cut holes in a flexible liner to allow insertion of the root ball of a developed plant. Crawford's method does not allow for the pre-cut hole to be adjusted to accommodate variations in the size and shape of the root-ball of the plant. Crawford's method is also a less secure system for preventing spillage of growing media in that it depends on the integrity of the plant root ball at the time of planting. In addition, Crawford's method requires access to the interior of the planter through an open top during the process of planting.
Some inventors have described vertical planters in which small planting apertures are arrayed on a vertical face of the planter as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,594 to Davis (1994). In some cases, apertures in the vertical surface may be fitted with removable closures, or alternately open-or-dosed ports. Exemplars of this approach may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,359 to Moffett, Jr. (1991) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,695 to Garden (1990). Mechanisms of this kind do prevent spillage of media from unused planting apertures, but offer no protection against spillage from apertures where a plant is inserted. In addition, these mechanisms cannot readily be adjusted to accommodate larger plant material or plants with developed root systems.
A more refined approach to preventing loss of growing media from the planting aperture is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,600 to Feldman (2001). Feldman discloses a planter with a down-facing plant aperture. To retain growing media from falling from the aperture, Feldman describes pliable perforated plates used as a medium retention device which substantially seals the space between the stem of the plant and the edge of the aperture. A similar mechanism, applied in a vertical planter, is described in Japanese patent JP8289669 to Murayama (1996). Murayama describes a sheet member fitted to a planting aperture for the purpose of preventing loss of soil from the planter. While both Feldman and Marayama provide a more reliable means of preventing spillage of growing media, neither of these inventions is suited to the planting of larger plant material or plants with developed root systems. Feldman's invention also requires access to the interior of the planter through an open top during the process of planting.
With regard to the advancement of the decorative quality of vertical-oriented planters it must be acknowledged that esthetics are subjective. However, it may be fairly noted that many of the vertical planters referenced here were intended for outdoor use in growing vegetable crops or seasonal flowers. Most of these would not be appropriate for indoor use. Many would also not be suitable, because of their construction, for mounting on a wall.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:                a) to provide a vertical-mounted planter in which plants grow from the facing surface;        b) to provide a planter which will eliminate excessive liquid water retention in the plant root-zone, thereby reducing plant disease and death associated with overwatering;        c) to provide a planter with an improved environment for the effective use of water-absorbing gel for the purpose of moisture retention and disbursement;        d) to provide a planter which can be displayed and maintained on a vertical surface;        e) to provide a planter which serves to maintain the shape and porosity of planting media in the planter root zone,        f) to provide a planter which minimizes the potential for spills and mess;        g) to provide a vertical-mounted planter which can accommodate planting of larger plants and plants with developed root systems;        h) to provide a vertical-mounted planter which can be easily planted through the facing surface of the planter; and        i) to provide a planter with enhanced decorative qualities.        
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.